Method and means for the automatic regulation of the continuous application of specified amounts of solids or liquids to a moving sheet of material



2,956,905 LATION OF THE Oct. 18,

SHEET 0F MATERIAL v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1957 kwronnerqs,

Oct. 18, 1960 E. H. JONES ETAL 2,955,905

memos AND mums FOR ms AUTOMATIC REGULATION 0? was: CONTINUOUS APPLICATION OF SPECIFIED AMQUNTS 0F SOLIDS 0R uqums To A uovms swam OF MATERIAL Filed June 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TE 42 v I 49 48 I' FIG. 2

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E" H'JONES 4.3. \Xmccu 'Bma jw United States atent METHOD AND MEANS FOR THE AUTOMATIC REGULATION OF THE CONTINUOUS APPLICA- TION OF SPECIFIED AMOUNTS OF SOLIDS OR LIQUIDS TO A MOVING SHEET OF MATERIAL Eric Harding Jones, Bramhall, and John Joseph Vincent,

Alderley Edge, England, assignors to The British Cotton Industry Research Association, Didsbury, Manchester, England, a British association of The Shirley Institute Filed June 21, 1957, Ser. No. 667,129

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 22, 1956 9 Claims. (Cl. 117120) This invention concerns the automatic regulation of the continuous application of specified amounts of solids and/r liquids to a moving sheet of material.

in our prior British Patent Number 654,178 we have described a method of applying to a continuously moving sheet of material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance, wherein such substance is supplied to a reservoir and from which reservoir it is applied as a neat fluid or in solution or dispersion in a fluid medium to the said moving sheet of material characterised in that the substance is supplied to the said reservoir at a rate predetermined by the speed of movement of the sheet of material and the said prescribed weight of substance per unit length to be applied thereto, and in that any change in weight of fluid in the reservoir which results from a deviation of actual rate of application of the substance from the prescribed rate of application, is utilized to alter some property of the fluid in the reservoir so as to correct the said deviation and also apparatus for putting such a method into eflect.

In the complete specification of our patent aforesaid we described, by Way of example, a method of and apparatus for warp-sizing, in which there is provided a large vessel for stock liquor, from which the liquor is transterred in amounts accurately correlated with the speed of movement of the warps and the desired rate of deposition of size thereon to a reservoir through which the warps pass. In the reservoir the liquor is diluted automatically as required to correct any deviation of the actual take-up of the solids in the stock liquor from the desired take-up.

The stock liquor will normally be a fully gelatinised solution of starch and minor ingredients such as tallow, and difliculties exist in the maintenance of the contents of a large vessel of such liquor ready for use. The liquor must be maintained at a constant predetermined concentration and it must also be kept warm. These requirements are to some extent incompatible since the heating of the liquor will, in general, be associated either with evaporation of some of the water or the introduction of additional water as condensate according to whether closed or open steam heating, for example, is used. Furthermore, the liquor may be diflicult to handle on account of its high viscosity. With a view to overcoming these difficulties research was directed to providing a large reserve of suitable material in a more convenient form than the stock liquor previously used, and this led to the development and use of a slurry. In a slurry only a very small proportion of the constituents is gelatinised and the viscosity is low. This is achieved by the use of a suspending agent which gelatinises rapidly and spontaneously in water without the application of heat, thus holding in suspension the main constituents of the slurry mix. In this way it is possible to have a large reservoir of stock liquor of high and accurately known concentration but without the disadvantages in use and handling associated with high viscosity. The most eflicacious suspending agents (one of which is sodium alginate) are however expensive compared with the sizing ingredients. Furthermore the operator must weigh out the constituents of the slurry (as he must also in the case of the gelatinised liquor if used) and the possibility of human error is present during this operation.

In our co-pending British patent application No. 19,716/53 we have described the use of a slurry in a control system of the type described and claimed in our prior Patent No. 654,178.

It is the principal object of the present invention to avoid the necessity of preparing a reserve of stock liquor slurry or the like particularly in a warp sizing process as just described.

According to the present invention a method of applying to a continuously moving sheet of material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance comprises continuously metering one or more ingredients constituting or comprising said substance at a rate predetermined by the speed of movement of the sheet of material, and the said prescribed weight of substance per unit length to be applied thereto, to a container, continuously treating the ingredients in the container to provide a dispersion, solution, emulsion, melt or other liquid form, continuously applying same to said moving sheet of material from said container or from a reservoir to which it is continuously supplied at a similarly predetermined rate from said container, and utilising any change in weight o f the contents of the container or the reservoir, as the case may be, which results from a deviation of the actual rate of application of the substance from the prescribed rate of application, to alter some property of the dispersion, solution, emulsion, melt or the like so as to correct said deviation.

The invention also includes apparatus for applying to a continuously moving sheet of material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance comprising means for continuously metering one or more ingredients constituting or comprising said substance at a rate predetermined by the speed of movement of the sheet of material, and the said prescribed weight of substance per unit length to be applied thereto, to a container, means for continuously treating the ingredients in the container to provide a dispersion, solution, emulsion, melt or other liquid form, means for continuously applying same to said moving sheet of material from said container or from a reservoir to which it is continuously supplied at a similarly predetermined rate from said container, means for varying the amount of liquid taken up by the material by varying a property of the liquid, and means responsive to change of weight of the contents of the container or reservoir, as the case may be, operably connected to said means for varying the amount of liquid taken up by the material by varying a property of the liquid so as thereby to correct any deviation from the prescribed rate of application of the substance.

The substance may be the whole of the liquid, but it may also be one or more constituents only of the liquid, one or more other constituents being for example a carrier or solvent which is subsequently removed from the material by evaporation or other means. If the Whole of the liquid taken up is retained by the material the terms substance and liquid taken up are synonymous. If not, then the word substance means the one or more constituents of the fluid ultimately retained by the material.

The change in weight of liquid in the reservoir or container may be ascertained by direct measurement of weight or by an indirect measurement from change of volume, depth or pressure.

in many forms of t.e invention (for example warp sizing) the licuid will comprise one or more solid ingredients dispersed, dissolved, emulsified or the like in a suitable liquid, usually water, and it will usually be desirable to provide a separate reservoir to which the liquid is fed from the container, and from which it is taken up by the material.

Also according to the present invention therefore, a method of applying to a continuously moving of material as prescribed Weight per unit length of a substance comprises continuously metering one or more solid ingredients constituting or comprising said substance or part of it at a rate predetermined by the speed of movement of the sheet of material, and the prescribed w of substance per unit length to be applied theret to a container, continuously adding one or more liquid ingredients to said container at a similarly predetermined rate, continuously treating the ingredients in the container to provide a dispersion, solution, emulsion or the like, continuously supplying same at a similarly predetermined rate to a reservoir from which it is applied to said moving sheet of material, and utilizing any change in Weight of the dispersion, solution, emulsion or the like in the reservoir which results from a deviation of the actual rate of. applicatiton of the substance from the prescribed rate of application, to alter some property thereof so as to correct said deviation.

The word solid is intended to include all states other than liquid and gaseous states. A solid ingredient may for example be in tablet or powder form.

The property of the dispersion or solution which is altered will usually be the concentration thereof (although the alteration of some other property, such as the viscosity, is not precluded), and this may conveniently be done by providing a supply of diluent to the container which is controlled according to the weight of dispersion or solution in the reservoir in like manner as the supply of diluent to the reservoir of the size box described and illustrated in our complete specification aforesaid.

The metering of the solid ingredient or ingredients (usually, in a sizing process, only the main ingredient, normally starch), may be carried out, for example, by providing an endless bucket conveyor which will keep a small hopper adequately supplied, and means for automatically weighing and dispensing the ingredient or ingredients at a chosen rate from the hopper to the container. Another method is by using a lost weight system incorporating a balance. On one arm of the balance there is a hopper which carries the solid ingredients. To the other arm a force is applied which is automatically reduced or effectively reduced) at a prescribed rate so as to diminish the moment about the fulcrum. The out-of-balance effect thus produced is then arranged to Operate the feed of the ingredients from the hopper until balance is restored. The controlled force applied to the arm might be simply a movable weight or chain of adjustable effective length but another method which might be used is to produce initial balance by loading with water or other liquid a tank, suspended from the balance, and then metering water from the tank at a prescribed rate. The substance is then fed to the container at the rate required to maintain balance. if water is used in the tank it could serve to mix with the water at the container.

Another example of means of delivering a controlled quantity of solids to the container is by the use of an endless conveyor supported on a pivot and counterbalanced by a definite weight. A hopper would be arranged above the conveyor to discharge solids on to it Whenever it is out of balance. The speed of the conveyor would then control the rate of supply of solids to the container. I

Another alternative method of feeding solids is by volume in which a bucket type conveyor transfers solids from a hopper directly into the container, the speed of the conveyor being varied to control the rate of delivery of solids to the container.

A further method is the use of an automatic weighing machine, dispensing discrete amounts at a chosen rate, or by other known means.

Obviously, if desired, two or more of such methods could be used together. Where more than one ingredient is involved the ingredients may be premixed in the correct proportions and one dispensing arrangement employed. In many such cases, however, it will be found more economical to provide a dispensing arrangement for each ingredient.

The diluent will preferably be fed to the container, although some of it may, in some cases, be fed to the reservoir.

The treatment of the solid and liquid ingredients will usually comprise agitation.

The invention will now be described further by Way of exfrnple, with reference to warp sizing of textile yarn. in warp sizing the object is to deposit a size liquor onto a moving sheet of warp so that after drying the warp as acquired a predetermined percentage by weight of the solid ingredients dispersed in the liquor.

Reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically one form of the invention for a warp-sizing process, and

Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically an alternative arrangement for metering solid ingredients.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 comprises a main supply of starch, means for conveying same to a metering arrangement, means for continuously producing the liquor and supplying it to a reservoir, means for progressing the warp through the reservoir, and means. for automaticall altering the concentration of the liquor as required.

The supply of starch is contained in a large vessel 11 capable of holding several hours supply at least. An endless conveyor 12 is disposed so as to convey starch from this vessel to a special hopper 13 to keep the latter full. The hopper 13 has internal agitating means 14 and metering means 15. A pipe 16 leads from the metering means 15 to a container 17 having a capacity of about one gallon. The metering means 15 is capable of dispensing starch at a predetermined rate (as will hereinafter be described) to the container 17. Water feed means 21 (which will also be more particularly described hereinafter) are provided for the container 17. The container 17 has a central vertical partition 17a extending nearly to the base thereof, and at each side of this partition is an agitator 18 driven from above by a suitable motor 19 through gears 20. The pipe to and water-feed means 21 are disposed to one side of the partition 17a and an overflow pipe 22 leads from the other side of the container 17, near to the top thereof, downwardly to the reservoir 23 so that, when the level of liquid in the container 17 rises to a certain height, feed of the liquor to the reservoir 23 is maintained.

The reservoir 23 is of channel-shaped cross-section, with a partition 24 near one side to provide a longitudinal part of a capacity of about two-and-a-half gallons to which the size liquor is fed via pipe 22 and to which heat by steam pipe 25 is applied to gelatinise the starch. The partition 24 does not extend quite to the floor of the reservoir and the liquor can pass therebeneath to the main part thereof, the capacity of which is about eight-and-ahalf gallons. A roller system 26 is disposed above and in the main part of the reservoir 23 by means of which the warp sheet 27 is passed through the liquor.

The rate of supply of starch to the container 17 from the metering means 15 is adjustable and is pre-set according to the speed of the warp sheet 27 through the reservoir 23 and the desired rate of take up of starch by the This adjustability is achieved by means of an automatic weighing mechanism of known type which is adapted to dispense discrete quantities of starch at intervals through the pipe 16 into the container 17. The intervals may be pre-set by means of a hand control according to requirements. The weighing mechanism in the metering means is operated by means of a control switch 28 adapted electrically through circuit 28a to actuate the mechanism. Theswitch is driven from the roller system 26 so that an overall control of the rate of metering of the starch is effected according to the speed at which the warp sheet 27 is progressed. Pre-setting is efiected manually at two variable speed gears 29, 30 in the transmission between the roller system 26 and the switch 28.

p The water feed means 21 consists of a pipe 31 which depends into the container 17 and is fed by two branches 31a, 31b. The first branch 31a serves to convey to the pipe 31 a supply of water which is not large enough to give a sufficient degree of dilution. The second branch 31b gives a controlled supply of water which together with that flowing through the first branch 31a serves to dilute the liquor in such a manner as to preserve the cor rect take-up of starch per unit length of the warp sheet 27. This is done by running water into the container 17 (and thereby into the reservoir 23) to maintain a constant volume or Weight of dilute liquor in the reservoir 23. In the arrangement illustrated, the hydrostatic head of liquid in the reservoir 23 is made to cause similar variations in head of a suitable liquid in an external float chamber 32 through the medium of a relaxed diaphragm 33 fitted into the bottom of the reservoir 23, such diaphragm 33 serving to separate the liquid in the reservoir 23 from that in the float chamber 32. A float-switch 34a actuated by the upward and downward motion of the float 34 produced by corresponding fluctuations in depth of liquid in the reservoir 23 causes a supply of water to be run into the container 17 through the second branch 31b of the water-feed, to correct the level of liquid in the reservoir 23. This eflect is achieved by providing a magnetic valve 35 in the second branch 31b of the water feed system 21 adapted to be electrically energised to control the flow of water in this branch according to the movement of the float 34 and operation of the float switch 34a. A suitable electric circuit 36 is provided for this purpose.

It is to be noted that great accuracy of water supply through branch 31a is not necessary, the flow through branch 31b maintaining elfective control. The feed through branch 31a is by way of a gear pump 37 driven from the variable gear 30.

In another arrangement (not illustrated) the reservoir 23 and its contents are supported on a spring so that the movement of the reservoir which takes place whenever the weight of liquid in it changes, operates means for altering the rate of supply of water to the container to oppose this change in weight thus obtaining a practically constant weight of liquid in the reservoir.

A tank 38 contains tallow, and feeds the smaller part of reservoir 23 through a pipe 39, a gear pump 40' being provided for this purpose, driven also from the variable gear 30.

It is to be noted that supply of all ingredients to the reservoir 23 is (directly or indirectly) to the smaller part, the partition 24 preventing inadequately heated size liquor or inadequately-gelatini'sed starch from reaching the larger part of the reservoir and enabling vigorous ebullition of the incoming mixture to be maintained without splashing the Warp sheet 27.

In operation the automatic weighing mechanism is pre-set so as to operate at the frequency necessary to supply starch at the required rate to the container. The water supply is connected, the agitators 18 set in motion, and the driving means for the Warp guiding rollers started. 1

The starch and water will be rapidly and continuously mixed together in the container 17 and continuously fed to the reservoir 23 as a dispersion of starch in water.

As the time required to transfer the mixture from the container 17 to the reservoir 23 is short a suspending agent will not normally be required to hold the ungelatinised starch in suspension. in the heated reservoir.

.Should the level of liquor in the reservoir 23 drop or risedue to the warp sheet 27 taking up too much or too little thereof, the decrease or increase in total weight of, and thus the volume contained in, the reservoir will cause operation of the means to vary the supply of water through the second branch 3111 increasing or decreasing it accordingly to correct any deviation from the correct rate of take-up.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated an alternative metering means for the starch comprising the lost-weight system previously described. In this arrangement a hopper 50 is filled with solid ingredients. The hopper 50 is supported by one arm of a balance 41 which pivots about a fulcrum 42. The other arm carries an adjustable dead-weight 43 and, at its extreme end, a chain 44, the effective length of which is adjustable by means of a variable speed drive 45, which by means of a suitable transmission system 46 causes the chain 44 to be Wound on a drum 47. The 'feed of solid ingredient to pipe 16 (Fig. 1) from the hopper 50 is controlled by an electrically driven gate means or agitator 48 which comes into operation when the electric circuit 49 is closed on movement of the hopper arm of the balance 41 downwardly.

In operation the dead-weight 43 is set to balance the weight of the hopper when full and the variable drive 45 set so that the effective weight of the chain is reduced to give an equivalent efiect to a reduction at the right rate in the weight of solid ingredients in the hopper 50. In practice the repeated sequence of events will be that at the commencement there will be no feed from the hopper 50; then, as the effective weight of the chain 44 diminishes, the arm of the balance 41 supporting the hopper 50 will fall, and will cause the circuit 49 to close and the gate or agitator 48 to come into operation; feed of ingredients from the hopper 50 will commence and continue until the hopper and its contents become so light that the balance 4-1 is restored to its original position, the circuit 49 opened, the gate or agitator 48 stopped, and feed of ingredients arrested.

The method and apparatus just described has numerous advantages over prior methods. Mainly it avoids the necessity of preparing, say, a days supply of stock liquor, and therefore the necessity of storing it and keeping it warm and ready for use. Also the possibility of human error in mixing is avoided. The use of an expensive suspending agent, as would be necessary if a slurry were used, is also avoided. Furthermore, since the liquor is prepared continuously, as required, there is negligible waste, and changes in the proportions of the ingredients can be made at any time without dithculty. Another important advantage arising out of the fact that the liquor is not prepared in advance and stored is that bacterial and other degradation is virtually prevented.

We claim:

1. In a method of supplying to a continuously moving sheet of linear material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance, said method being of the type wherein said sheet is passed through a reservoir containing said substance and comprising the steps of, supplying said substance in solid form to a mixing container at a rate continuously dependent on the speed of movement of said material through said reservoir and in accordance with the rate at which said substance is desired to be applied to said material, adding liquid ingredients comprising liquid diluent to said solid substance in said mix-ing container, continuously mixing the solid and liquid ingredients in the container to form a homogeneous Gelatinisation takes place G liquor containing said substance, causing liquor to be transported from the mixing container to the reservoir at the rate at which it is made, supplying said diluent to said mixing container in a quantity to maintain a substantially constant amount in said reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of liquor in said mixing container is appreciably less than the amount normally present in said reservoir whereby only a relatively small amount of said liquor is mixed in said mixing container prior to its use in said reservoir.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a portion of said diluent is supplied to said mixing container at a rate continuously dependent on the speed of movement of material through said reservoir and a further portion is supplied in accordance with the amount of said liquor in said reservoir to thereby maintain a substantially constant amount in said reservoir.

4. In a method of supplying to a continuously moving sheet of linear material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance, said method being of the type wherein said sheet is passed through a reservoir included and interconnected with a mixing container to thereby comprise a tank system containing said substance and with said method comprising the steps of, supplying said substance in solid form to said mixing container at a rate continuously dependent on the speed of movement of said material through said reservoir and in accordance with the rate at which said substance is desired to be applied to said material, adding liquid ingredients comprising liquid diluent to said tank system, at least a portion of said liquid ingredients being added to said solid substance in said mixing container, continuously mixing the solid and liquid ingredients in said container to form a homogeneous liquor containing said substance, transporting said liquor from said mixing container to said reservoir at the rate at which it is made, said diluent being supplied to said tank system in a quantity to maintain a substantially constant amount in said reservoir.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein all said diluent is added to said mixing container.

6. The method as set forth in claim 4 wherein at least one of said liquid ingredients other than said liquid diluent is supplied to said tank system at a rate continuously dependent on the speed of movement of said material through said reservoir.

7. In apparatus for supplying to a continuously moving sheet of linear material a prescribed weight per unit length of a substance the combination comprising a reservoir, means associated with said reservoir for passing said sheet of linear material through a liquor comprising said substance and contained in said reservoir, a mixing container, means for metering said substance in solid form to said mixing container at a controllable rate dependent on the speed of movement of said material through said reservoir and in accordance with the desired rate at which said substance is to be applied to said material, means for adding liquid ingredients comprising at least some liquid diluent to said solid substance in said mixing container, means for continuously mixing said solid and liquid ingredients in said mixing container to form a homogeneous liquor containing said substance, means associated with both said mixing container and said reservoir for causing said liquor in said mixing container to be transported to said reservoir at the rate at which, it is made, and means for supplying said diluent to said mixing container in a quantity effective to maintain a substantially constant amount of said liquor in said reservoir.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 and further including means associated with said mixing container and comprising inlet and outlet sides of said container being separated by a bafile, a base for said container, said bafl'le being separated by a bafiie, a base for said container, said bafiie being spaced from said base, and mixing means at each side of said battle to cause said solid and liquid ingredients supplied to said inlet side to flow down one side of said baffle and up the other in a long mixing path.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the means for metering said solid substance comprises a lost-weight system including a storage container for said solid substance being supported by one arm of a balance, a weight on the other arm of said balance, means for causing said weight on said other arm of said balance to be diminished at a rate corresponding to the required rate of feed of said solid substance, dispensing means acting on said storage container to control the rate at which said solid substance is dispensed to said mixing container, and means governed by movement of said balance for acting on said dispensing means to cause said solid substance to be supplied to said mixing container at said controllable rate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,740,979 Gorlick Dec. 24, 1929 1,785,370 Thomas Dec. 16, 1930 2,002,379 Thomas May 21, 1935 2,505,491 Harper Apr. 25, 1950 2,583,267 Jones et a1. Jan. 22, 1952 2,694,963 MacDonald Nov. 23, 1954 2,718,982 Long Sept. 27, 1955 2,745,484 Eckstrom et al. May 15, 1956 

1. IN A METHOD OF SUPPLYING TO A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING SHEET OF LINEAR MATERIAL A PRESCRIBED WEIGHT PER UNIT LENGTH OF A SUBSTANCE, SAID METHOD BEING OF THE TYPE WHEREIN SAID SHEET IS PASSED THROUGH A RESERVOIR CONTAINING SAID SUBSTANCE AND COMPRISING THE STEPS OF, SUPPLYING SAID SUBSTANCE IN SOLID FORM TO A MIXING CONTAINER AT A RATE CONTINUOUSLY DEPENDENT ON THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT OF SAID MATERIAL THROUGH SAID RESERVOIR AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RATE AT WHICH SAID SUBSTANCE IS DESIRED TO BE APPLIED TO SAID MATERIAL, ADDING LIQUID INGREDIENTS COMPRISING LIQUID DILUENT TO SAID SOLID SUBSTANCE IN SAID MIXING CONTAINER, CONTINUOUSLY MIXING THE SOLID AND LIQUID INGREDIENTS IN THE CONTAINER TO FORM A HOMOGENEOUS LIQUOR CONTAINING SAID SUBSTANCE, CAUSING LIQUOR TO BE TRANSPORTED FROM THE MIXING CONTAINER TO THE RESERVOIR AT THE RATE AT WHICH IT IS MADE, SUPPLYING SAID DILUENT TO SAID MIXING CONTAINER IN A QUANTITY TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT AMOUNT IN SAID RESERVOIR. 